Trinity Solar is one of the big names in the solar industry. The company’s slogan: Energy with Integrity® encompasses its goal to help you “lower your cost of living, protect the environment, and improve your quality of life.”
By installing a solar panel system, you can benefit from harnessing renewable energy to save on energy costs while leaving a more minor impact on the environment.
Who is Trinity solar?
Trinity solar started out as Trinity Heating and Air Inc. in 1994 and has been headed by founder and CEO Tom Pollock ever since. A decade after it was founded, the company’s focus shifted to providing solar energy services. Today the company is the largest privately-held residential solar installation company in the United States.
The company specializes in designing and installing solar panels and battery systems. They take care of everything from calculating how much generation capacity you require, to obtaining permits, and assisting with the financing of your solar panels.
Trinity Solar is a regular on Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors list. This list ranks solar companies in terms of the amount of kilowatts companies were involved with installing in the United States each year.
In 2019 Trinity Solar ranked second in the residential market. In that year, the company was involved with the installation of residential solar systems with the capacity to produce 89,609.2 KW. In 2020 this number dropped to 87,186 KW, placing Trinity Solar fifth on the list of residential solar installers.
The company’s headquarters are located in New Jersey. They also offer solar services in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
What is the process to install a solar system through Trinity Solar?
Trinity Solar assist customers in installing solar electric systems in their homes. The process starts with an in-home consultation. The Trinity Solar representative will discuss your goals and energy needs during this consultation. They will also look at the state of your roof, its pitch, and how much sunlight it gets on average each day.
After the in-home visit, Trinity Solar will draw up all necessary quotes, contracts, and paperwork. Once an agreement has been entered into. Trinity Solar will complete and submit all state, local, and utility application documents. It could take up to eight weeks to obtain the relevant licenses and approvals. Installation of your solar system can only be scheduled once you have received approval. The installation process takes between one and two days.
A final inspection and meter swapping will need to be done once the installation has been completed. You could wait up to three weeks to have the meter swapping done.
Lastly, Permission to Operate (PTO) will be given when you have received your inspection approvals. At this point, you can start to produce your own electricity.
One thing to note is that Trinity Solar does not offer a monitoring system with their solar panel systems. That means you cannot track how much power your solar system generates or how much of the generated electricity your home uses.
How much does Trinity Solar charge?
Trinity Solar pricing is not advertised on the company’s website. Instead, the company invites potential customers to contact them for a quote. This is the general practice in the residential solar energy industry since each installation depends on the location, the home, and the homeowners’ electricity needs.
However, the company does offer various options for you to purchase a solar system through them. You can purchase your solar system with cash if you have the available resources. This way, you will be owning the system and all the electricity it generates immediately.
If, however, you don’t have the cash available, there are alternative financing options to pay for your solar system and installation. Trinity Solar could put you in touch with recommended providers. Still, it would be a good idea to do your research and find a lender who will offer you the best terms and lowest interest rate. By financing your solar system, you will own the system once the loan is paid off. Similar to if you were to pay cash, you will be able to benefit from using the power generated by your solar system immediately.
You may also be able to enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Trinity Solar. This option requires no out-of-pocket or upfront payment from you. The company designs and installs the solar system at your home. It is also responsible for obtaining permissions, approvals, and licenses or permits. System costs, insurance, warranties, monitoring, and maintenance are all managed by Trinity Solar.
In short, a PPA works similar to your agreement with a power utility – you purchase the electricity produced by the solar system installed at your home from Trinity Solar. The main benefit of this arrangement is that power purchased through a PPA is generally less expensive than you would pay for power from an electric company. If this objective cannot be achieved, a PPA may not be an option for you.
Trininy Solar runs various referral programs. These programs vary slightly but could pay you to refer a new client to the company. In many cases, the person who installs a solar system through Trinity Solar also receives a cash incentive.
The company has an app that can be used to submit and track your referrals. When you use the Trinity Solar Connect community app, you will receive a cash reward based on a tier system. The more people you refer to install a solar system through Trinity Solar, the more money you will receive for each new referral.
Trinity Solar also offers incentives for members of non-profits to assist with their solar installations. The company will contribute $100 to a non-profit organization if one of its members meets with a Trinity consultant. More than that, Trinity Solar will contribute $1000 to a non-profit organization if one of its members installs a solar system through Trinity Solar.
What are people saying about Trinity Solar?
Trinity Solar reviews score an average of between three and four stars out of five. There are nearly as many excellent reviews as there are bad ones.
Positive Trinity reviews speak about great experiences with sales teams, customer service departments, and after-sales support. They mention that installation was done quickly, and the entire process ran smoothly.
On the other hand, individuals who have had negative experiences also speak about customer service. These individuals mention the damage done to their homes and roofs during the installation process. Others mention that they had received a poor response (or none at all) when their system encountered problems or stopped working after it was installed.
Lastly, persons who left negative reviews for Trinity Solar speak about their aggressive and, sometimes questionable, sales tactics. In some cases, people who left poor reviews for Trinity Solar aren’t customers but persons who have had a bad experience with Trinity sales representatives.
In fact, a proposed class-action lawsuit was filed against Trinity Solar in August 2021. The lawsuit relates to Trinity Solar allegedly using auto dialed robocalls to place telemarketing calls to potential customers without first obtaining consent to do so.
A possible explanation why some people receive five-star service while others are left unsatisfied could be the company’s structure. Trinity Solar employs close to 2000 people across nine states. That means there is plenty of room for inconsistency in service received from one branch to the next. May happy reviewers often mention the same managers, salespersons, or installers in their reviews, bolstering this idea.
Suppose you are considering using Trinity Solar to install your solar system. In that case, you may want to look for local reviews on the company. This will give you insight into how the local branch is run, how other consumers experienced interacting with the company and employees, and what the after-sales service in your area is like.
Alternatively, ask friends who used the local branch of Trinity Solar or ask the company for references. It may not be their policy to provide customer details unless they have obtained consent for this. If this is not an option, you could try social media community groups or forums to find someone who has used Trinity Solar to install a solar system in your area.
Trinity Solar is one of the largest solar providers in the United States. The company is dedicated to helping its clients lower their electric bills by generating their own clean energy.
Although poor reviews on Trinity Solar may be concerning, the company does have many happy users. The best way to establish whether Trinity Solar is the right company to use for installing your solar panels is to speak to current customers in your area. This way, you can establish whether the local branch meets your needs and expectations relating to installation, customer service, and after-sales care.
Still not finding the right solar company? Find a list of solar installers, or browse more Going Solar resources.